What's new on SlashGear.com

---

• Amazon Tablet Built By Samsung Could Arrive By End Of Summer?
• Qualcomm Q2 Sales Results Show $3.9 Billion in Revenue
• Is Anyone Really Surprised the PSP Go Was A Failure?
• Apple’s Q2 Sales Results Show 18.65 million iPhones, 4.69 Million iPads, Apparent Growth
• Google Earth Builder For Businesses To Customize Maps On The Cloud
• SlashGear 101: What is a Jailbreak?
• DISH Network And EchoStar Respond After Court Rules In Favor Of TiVo
• iPhone / Samsung F700 / Prada Phone Rumors Debunked
• Facebook Headquarters Hosting Obama’s Town Hall Meeting Today
• Jasper Transducer Cell Speaks Your Language
• ThinkGeek iCADE iPad arcade cabinet finally gets shipping date
• Samsung HMX-W200 rugged Full HD camcorder didn’t get the Flip memo
• iPhone 4 design patent granted as Apple/Samsung fight continues
• T-Mobile G-Slate, G2x and Sidekick 4G arrive in-store
• PlayBook sales “far exceeding” XOOM demand says analyst
• iPhone and iPad 3G caught keeping secret location tracking database [Video]
• Idiot arrested after trying to rob store with a game controller
• Sony PSP Go production axed as focus shifts to NGP
• Amazon Library Lending for Kindle eBooks coming later in 2011
• Motorola XOOM crosses FCC, bound for AT&T?
• AT&T offers up Q1 2011 financials: iPhone sales surge
• Motorola delays Droid Bionic for enhancements
• ARM dual-core Cortex-A15 in late 2012 and quad-core parts “later”
• Compufon Android smartphone coming in Q4 with loads of awesome in tow
• Toshiba T851/D8CR notebook can show 2D and 3D content at once
• Skype for Android adds US 3G voice calls
• YouTube video now in WebM format
• Latest version of Apple TV still selling well
• Samsung catching up with Intel in semiconductor market revenue
• Intel CEO confirms Honeycomb-on-x86 port; Medfield phones in next 12 months
• Motorola’s XOOM 3G arrives in UK from £130
• Square Reader lands in Apple Store (& they’ll pay you to buy it)
• Toshiba 6-tuner Regza 3D ZG2 HDTVs and BZ-series Blu-ray DVRs revealed
• Eric Schmidt gets huge salary boost
• Toshiba’s Regza Tablet AT300 finally breaks cover
• iOS ecosystem still overshadows Android tips research; iPad will dominate slates
• iPhone 5 shipping September with speedy CPU tip insiders
• ACER Iconia Tab A500 Review
• Ideum Unveils New MT55 HD Multitouch Table [Video]

Amazon Tablet Built By Samsung Could Arrive By End Of Summer? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:47 PM PDT Speculation that Amazon may be pushing forth its own Android tablet continues full steam ahead and now there’s belief that the tablet would be built by Samsung. That’s an interesting choice, considering the Korean electronics company has been the main components supplier for Apple, with whom they are about to embark on a massive legal battle. This gets all the more spicy when you think that Amazon is poised as the best iPad 2 rival. According to a report by Forrestor analyst Sarah Rotman Epps, an Amazon tablet would be the ultimate iPad 2 competitor because Amazon has the ability to compete on price subsidized by its content offering, and the ability to compete on distribution. And over the last few months, Amazon has indeed been quietly building up its arsenal to battle against Apple and the other tablet makers. Amazon recently opened doors to its Amazon Appstore for Android apps, even scoring an exclusive deal with the popular Angry Birds Rio title. Modeling itself after Apple’s Appstore, the Amazon Appstore aims to elevate itself above the Android Marketplace by providing a less spammy experience with a $99 charge to developers for listing and with a review and approval process. But certainly Android apps are only a small portion of the content Amazon can now distribute to its own tablet. Amazon already has a popular e-books delivery platform for the Kindle (soon to add library e-book borrowing support), but also recently switched on a video streaming service for its Amazon Prime subscribers. And further add to that their Amazon Cloud Player streaming service announced late last month, which is an online digital media locker that can store and share music, video, documents, and photos. They have quite a lot going for them and if it all pans out with Samsung, the tablet could be a good kick in Apple’s arse and a mighty threat to all other Android tablet makers. Whether or not Amazon will go with a vanilla Android 3.0 Honeycomb OS is another question folks are pondering. Talks of tightening up the Android tablet OS has people thinking that Amazon could possibly attempt to develop its own platform. Although, developing its own interface layer atop of Android seems more likely—something similar to what HTC has done with their Sense 3.0 would be pretty awesome. Amazon has recently been hiring on Android developers, but have stayed mum on any such Android tablet developments. However, could an Amazon tablet possibly arrive by end of Summer? That’s what veteran tech editor Peter Rojas seems to think over at Gdgt. What are your thoughts about an Amazon tablet? [via Business Insider] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung WB2000 10MP digicam tipped for May launch Samsung Galaxy Tab down to £479 at Amazon UK Samsung Galaxy Tab Amazon price slashed to £600 Sony tablet due this summer with Android 3.0 Honeycomb says CEO Amazon Kindle to Slim Down This Summer, Add Sharper Display

Qualcomm Q2 Sales Results Show $3.9 Billion in Revenue Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:27 PM PDT It appears that everyone is excited to let the world know that they’re massively successful today, both Qualcomm and Apple showing off fabulous numbers in print form for the public to digest. It’s a LOT to digest when you’ve got it all lying out there in front of you, and indeed we DO have their entire sales call and numbers here in this post, but let’s see if we can’t filter it down a bit for those average citizens who, like me, like to see giant numbers after money signs right underneath year markers. First, Qualcomm notes that this is a record quarter for them, posting revenues of $3.9 billion being no small pot of cash to scoff at. They’ve also noted that this translates to a total of $.59 in EPS, Earnings Per Share. There’s also another EPS number in there, but unless you know what non-GAAP means, I suggest you skip it. Next, Qualcomm’s operating income is $1.07 billion, that being down 3% from the quarter that came before this one, but up 38% from last year at this time. Can you say big growth? And for those of you who’ve been lost since the article started, lemme explain who Qualcomm is. It’s the brand name given to those friendly folks who create the chipsets that are inside your smartphones. Not ALL smartphones, of course, but they’re working to fix that! Take a look at our gigantic Qualcomm Portal to see all the coverage we’ve got on this radically excellent set of power generators in developers clothing. But before you go, you have a reading assignment – the entire press release below! Hooray! Qualcomm Announces Second Quarter Fiscal 2011 Results Record Revenues $3.9 Billion GAAP EPS $0.59, Non-GAAP EPS $0.86 — Raises Fiscal 2011 Revenue and Earnings Guidance — SAN DIEGO, April 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), a leading developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies, products and services, today announced results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 ended March 27, 2011. “We are pleased to report record quarterly revenues, and we are raising our revenue and earnings guidance for the year as the demand for smartphones across an array of geographies and tiers continues to grow,” said Dr. Paul E. Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. “In addition, we have resolved the second of the two previously disclosed licensee disputes. We continue to execute on our strategic priorities as our partners deploy our technologies and solutions to offer leading wireless products and services to consumers worldwide.” Second Quarter Results (GAAP) · Revenues: $3.88 billion, up 46 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) and 16 percent sequentially. · Operating income: $1.07 billion, up 38 percent y-o-y and down 3 percent sequentially. · Net income:(1) $999 million, up 29 percent y-o-y and down 15 percent sequentially. · Diluted earnings per share:(1) $0.59, up 28 percent y-o-y and down 17 percent sequentially. · Effective tax rate: 21 percent for the quarter. · Operating cash flow: $1.77 billion, up 123 percent y-o-y; 46 percent of revenues. · Return of capital to stockholders: $316 million, or $0.19 per share, of cash dividends paid. (1) Net income and diluted earnings per share throughout this news release are attributable to Qualcomm (i.e., after adjustment for noncontrolling interests), unless otherwise stated. Non-GAAP Second Quarter Results Non-GAAP results exclude the Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives (QSI) segment, certain share-based compensation, certain tax items that are not related to the current year and acquired in-process research and development (R&D) expense. · Revenues: $3.87 billion, up 45 percent y-o-y and 16 percent sequentially. · Operating income: $1.65 billion, up 55 percent y-o-y and 17 percent sequentially. · Net income: $1.45 billion, up 47 percent y-o-y and 8 percent sequentially. · Diluted earnings per share: $0.86, up 46 percent y-o-y and 5 percent sequentially. The current quarter excludes $0.18 loss per share attributable to the QSI segment and $0.09 loss per share attributable to certain share-based compensation. · Effective tax rate: 22 percent for the quarter. · Free cash flow: $1.85 billion, up 125 percent y-o-y; 48 percent of revenues (defined as net cash from operating activities less capital expenditures). Detailed reconciliations between results reported in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and Non-GAAP results are included at the end of this news release. In the comparisons summarized above, the following should be noted with respect to results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011: GAAP and Non-GAAP results included $401 million in revenues related to prior quarters as a result of agreements entered into with two licensees to settle ongoing disputes, including an arbitration proceeding with Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd.; GAAP results included $310 million in expenses in the QSI segment related to the FLO TV™ restructuring plan; and GAAP and Non-GAAP results included $120 million in impairment charges related to our Firethorn division, including $114 million in goodwill impairment. Second Quarter Key Business Metrics · CDMA-based Mobile Station Modem™ (MSM™) shipments: approximately 118 million units, up 27 percent y-o-y and flat sequentially. · December quarter total reported device sales: approximately $40.0 billion, up 44 percent y-o-y and 18 percent sequentially. o December quarter estimated CDMA-based device shipments: approximately 195 to 200 million units, at an estimated average selling price of approximately $200 to $206 per unit. Cash and Marketable Securities Our cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities totaled approximately $22.1 billion at the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2011, compared to $19.1 billion at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2011 and $18.2 billion a year ago. On April 7, 2011, we announced a cash dividend of $0.215 per share payable on June 24, 2011 to stockholders of record as of May 27, 2011. On January 5, 2011, we announced that we had entered into a definitive agreement under which we intend to acquire Atheros Communications, Inc. for $45 per share in cash, which represented an enterprise value of approximately $3.1 billion on that date. The transaction has received the approval of Atheros’ stockholders and certain foreign regulators, and the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, has expired. The completion of the merger remains subject to the satisfaction of certain closing conditions, including the receipt of an additional foreign regulatory approval. We continue to expect the merger to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2011. Effective Income Tax Rate Our fiscal 2011 effective income tax rates are estimated to be approximately 17 percent for GAAP and approximately 21 percent for Non-GAAP. The second quarter rates of 21 percent for GAAP and 22 percent for Non-GAAP are higher than the estimated annual rates primarily due to additional U.S. income resulting from the settlement of ongoing disputes with two licensees during the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Qualcomm Strategic Initiatives The QSI segment manages our strategic investment activities, including FLO TV, and makes strategic investments in early-stage and other companies and in wireless spectrum, such as the Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) spectrum won in the India auction. GAAP results for the second quarter of fiscal 2011 included an $0.18 loss per share for the QSI segment. The second quarter of fiscal 2011 QSI results included $376 million in operating expenses and restructuring charges primarily related to FLO TV. We have agreed to sell substantially all of our 700 MHz spectrum for $1.9 billion, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission. The agreement follows our previously announced plan to restructure and evaluate strategic options related to the FLO TV business and network. Under the restructuring plan, the FLO TV business and network were shut down on March 27, 2011, and we are no longer pursuing the MediaFLO Technologies business. Restructuring activities under this plan were initiated in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 and are expected to be substantially complete by the end of fiscal 2012. The spectrum was classified as held for sale at March 27, 2011. In the second quarter of fiscal 2011, restructuring and restructuring-related charges related to this plan included in QSI results were $310 million. We estimate that we will incur future restructuring and restructuring-related charges associated with this plan of up to $65 million, which are primarily related to lease exit and other costs. Business Outlook The following statements are forward looking and actual results may differ materially. The “Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” at the end of this news release provides a description of certain risks that we face, and our annual and quarterly reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) provide a more complete description of risks. Our outlook does not include provisions for future asset impairments or the consequences of injunctions, damages or fines related to any pending legal matters unless awarded or imposed by a court, governmental entity or other regulatory body. Further, due to their nature, certain income and expense items, such as realized investment gains or losses, or gains and losses on certain derivative instruments, cannot be accurately forecast. Accordingly, we only include such items in our business outlook to the extent they are reasonably certain; however, actual results may vary materially from the business outlook. In addition to our ongoing operating costs, our business outlook for fiscal 2011 includes restructuring and restructuring-related charges attributable to FLO TV that are currently expected to be incurred. We have not included any estimates related to the Atheros business in our third fiscal quarter or fiscal 2011 outlook. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of fiscal 2011. The following table summarizes GAAP and Non-GAAP guidance based on the current business outlook. The Non-GAAP business outlook presented below is consistent with the presentation of Non-GAAP results included elsewhere herein. Conference Call Qualcomm’s second quarter fiscal 2011 earnings conference call will be broadcast live on April 20, 2011, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time (PT) on the Company’s web site at: www.qualcomm.com. This conference call may contain forward-looking financial information and will include a discussion of “Non-GAAP financial measures” as that term is defined in Regulation G. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measures and information reconciling these Non-GAAP financial measures to the Company’s financial results prepared in accordance with GAAP, as well as the other material financial and statistical information to be discussed in the conference call, will be posted on the Company’s Investor Relations web site at www.qualcomm.com immediately prior to commencement of the call. A taped audio replay will be available via telephone on April 20, 2011, beginning at approximately 5:00 p.m. PT through May 20, 2011 at 9:00 p.m. PT. To listen to the replay, U.S. callers may dial (800) 642-1687 and international callers may dial (706) 645-9291. U.S. and international callers should use reservation number 56703245. An audio replay of the conference call will be available on the Company’s web site at www.qualcomm.com following the live call. Editor’s Note: To view the web slides that accompany this earnings release and conference call, please go to the Qualcomm Investor Relations website at: http://investor.qualcomm.com/results.cfm Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM) is a world leader in 3G and next-generation mobile technologies. For more than 25 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of wireless communications, connecting people more closely to information, entertainment and each other. Today, Qualcomm technologies are powering the convergence of mobile communications and consumer electronics, making wireless devices and services more personal, affordable and accessible to people everywhere. For more information, please visit www.qualcomm.com Note Regarding Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures The Company presents Non-GAAP financial information that is used by management (i) to evaluate, assess and benchmark the Company’s operating results on a consistent and comparable basis; (ii) to measure the performance and efficiency of the Company’s ongoing core operating businesses, including the Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, Qualcomm Technology Licensing and Qualcomm Wireless & Internet segments; and (iii) to compare the performance and efficiency of these segments against each other and against competitors outside the Company. Non-GAAP measurements of the following financial data are used by the Company’s management: revenues, R&D expenses, SG&A expenses, total operating expenses, operating income (loss), net investment income (loss), income (loss) before income taxes, effective tax rate, net income (loss), diluted earnings (loss) per share, operating cash flow and free cash flow. Management is able to assess what it believes is a more meaningful and comparable set of financial performance measures for the Company and its business segments by using Non-GAAP information. As a result, management compensation decisions and the review of executive compensation by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors focus primarily on Non-GAAP financial measures applicable to the Company and its business segments. Non-GAAP information used by management excludes the QSI segment, certain share-based compensation, certain tax items and acquired in-process R&D. The QSI segment is excluded because the Company expects to exit its strategic investments at various times, and the effects of fluctuations in the value of such investments are viewed by management as unrelated to the Company’s operational performance. Share-based compensation, other than amounts related to share-based awards granted under a bonus program that may result in the issuance of unrestricted shares of the Company’s common stock, is excluded because management views such share-based compensation as unrelated to the Company’s operational performance. Further, share-based compensation related to stock options is affected by factors that are subject to change, including the Company’s stock price, stock market volatility, expected option life, risk-free interest rates and expected dividend payouts in future years. Certain tax items that were recorded in reported earnings in each fiscal year presented, but were unrelated to the fiscal year in which they were recorded, are excluded in order to provide a clearer understanding of the Company’s ongoing Non-GAAP tax rate and after tax earnings. In fiscal 2009, the Company included the benefit of the retroactive extension of the federal R&D tax credit in Non-GAAP results because it had previously occurred with relative frequency and was included in the Company’s business outlook for fiscal 2009 as the credit had been extended prior to the release of the fiscal 2009 business outlook. In fiscal 2011, however, the Company did not include the benefit of the retroactive extension of the federal R&D tax credit in Non-GAAP results because the Company had not included the potential extension of the credit in its previously released fiscal 2011 business outlook due to uncertainty as to whether and when the federal R&D tax credit would be retroactively extended. Acquired in-process R&D is excluded because such expense is viewed by management as unrelated to the operating activities of the Company’s ongoing core businesses. The Company presents free cash flow, defined as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, to facilitate an understanding of the amount of cash flow generated that is available to grow its business and to create long-term stockholder value. The Company believes that this presentation is useful in evaluating its operating performance and financial strength. In addition, management uses this measure to evaluate the Company’s performance, to value the Company and to compare its operating performance with other companies in the industry. The Non-GAAP financial information presented herein should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for, or superior to, financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. In addition, “Non-GAAP” is not a term defined by GAAP, and, as a result, the Company’s measure of Non-GAAP results might be different than similarly titled measures used by other companies. Reconciliations between GAAP results and Non-GAAP results are presented in the following tables. Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements In addition to the historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ substantially from those referred to herein due to a number of factors, including but not limited to risks associated with: the rate of deployment and adoption of, and demand for, our technologies in wireless networks and wireless communications, equipment and services, including CDMA2000 1X, 1xEV-DO, WCDMA, HSPA, TD-SCDMA and OFDMA; the uncertainty of global economic conditions and its potential impact on demand for our products, services or applications and the value of our marketable securities; competition; our dependence on major customers and licensees; attacks on our licensing business model, including results of current and future litigation and arbitration proceedings, as well as actions of governmental or quasi-governmental bodies, and the costs we incur in connection therewith, including potentially damaged relationships with customers and operators who may be impacted by the results of these proceedings; our dependence on third-party manufacturers and suppliers; foreign currency fluctuations; strategic investments and transactions we have or may pursue; defects or errors in our products and services; the development and commercial success of our QMT division’s mirasol® display technology; as well as the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our SEC reports, including the report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 26, 2010 and most recent Form 10-Q. The Company undertakes no obligation to update, or continue to provide information with respect to, any forward-looking statement or risk factor, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated. Mobile Station Modem, MSM, FLO TV and MediaFLO are trademarks of Qualcomm Incorporated. mirasol is a registered trademark of Qualcomm MEMS Technologies, Inc. CDMA2000 is a registered trademark of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA USA). All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple posted record Quarterly Revenue and Earnings Google Announces Third Quarter Financial Results Nintendo raises sales forcast Qualcomm Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2010 Results Intel Reports Q1 Results Exceed Expectations Thanks To Enterprise Strength

Is Anyone Really Surprised the PSP Go Was A Failure? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:16 PM PDT When Sony launched the PSP Go in 2009, it was expected to be the next big thing by some fans. They said that it would capitalize on the growing downloadable-content trend, and gamers wouldn't even miss the UMD drive. More importantly, they said, with such future-focused features, it could justify its $250 price tag. But then gamers actually got their hands on the device. And they quickly realized that all the so-called benefits of owning the PSP Go were, well, non-existent. When discussing the reasons the PSP Go failed, it's hard to pinpoint a single issue. The device was rife with problems from the beginning that made it dead on arrival. And towards the end, it seemed that only Sony saw it as a worthwhile buy. Take, for example, the exorbitant $250 price tag. At that rate, consumers expected much more than a device that would allow them to download games and play them while on-the-go. After all, for $50 more, they could get the most-capable gaming device on the market, Sony's PlayStation 3. Even after Sony reduced the PSP Go's price to $199, it was too expensive. There was also the issue of games. Generally speaking, the library of titles available to the PSP Go were lackluster. And those that were actually dedicated to gaming on a PSP would have chosen Sony's traditional model, which supported a UMD drive, so they could get all the games available on the platform. But it goes beyond the device's own shortcomings. It was available in a time when casual players were less likely to turn to portable devices, like the PSP or the DS, to satisfy their gaming needs. Instead, they took to Apple's App Store, found downloadable games, like Angry Birds, and enjoyed them from their iPhone. Android gamers have been doing that as of late, as well. Simply put, casual titles are becoming more popular. And for the first time, traditional portables are being forced to actually worry about smartphones. Some of the more popular options, like the DS, have been able to thrive under those circumstances. The weakest of the bunch, including the PSP Go, have failed. So, what can Sony learn from all this? For one, the company needs to give itself a better chance of competing against Nintendo and smartphones by fairly pricing its upcoming NGP. It would also be a good idea if Sony acknowledges the threat that the competition poses and market the NGP around that. But perhaps more than anything, Sony needs to learn to not take such giant leaps in the portable space without doing it the right way. The iPhone was a gamble, but Apple pulled it off by doing something special. The same can be said for the DS. The PSP Go wasn't special in any way. And that, more than anything else, is why it failed. Relevant Entries on SlashGear AT&T calls dibs on Premier Windows Phone 7 vendor title Chalk one up for Sony – PS3 failure rate less than 1% Ballmer’s bonus slashed due to Kin failure New study pegs Xbox 360 failure rate at 16% SquareTrade provides further details on Xbox 360 failure rate study

Apple’s Q2 Sales Results Show 18.65 million iPhones, 4.69 Million iPads, Apparent Growth Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:53 PM PDT It appears that Apple’s sales call has shown the company to – surprise – be growing wildly, while the numbers on iPad sales specifically seem to be ever so slightly slipping. The sales call included the computer giant’s fiscal 2011 quarter ending on March 26th, 2011. During this quarter they’ve posted record second quarter revenue of $24.67 billion as well as record second quarter net profit of $5.00 billion, this translating to $6.40 per diluted share. Oh Apple, you wily bunch, when will you ever stop growing? Stock prices at the moment I publish this post: Never, never ever, that’s what Steve Jobs essentially said on this call, "With quarterly revenue growth of 83 percent and profit growth of 95 percent, we're firing on all cylinders. … We will continue to innovate on all fronts throughout the remainder of the year." Unless the end of the year comes, that is. In reality, compared to the numbers last year with revenue at $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per diluted share, I and we are thinking their growth shows more than a little growth possibility. Have a peek at the statistics below, and I’ll leave most of the conjecture up to Ben, but I’ve gotta say: no matter how you look at it, Apple continues to sell a whole barrel full of iProducts and will continue to do so until the end of time. They show no signs of letting up any time soon, and what we can all take away from this sales call is that the whole crew is definitely still on all four wheels. April 20, 2011 20:30 UTC Apple Reports Second Quarter Results Record March Quarter Drives 83 Percent Revenue Growth, 95 Percent Profit Growth Record iPhone Sales Grow 113 Percent CUPERTINO, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended March 26, 2011. The Company posted record second quarter revenue of $24.67 billion and record second quarter net profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 41.4 percent compared to 41.7 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 59 percent of the quarter's revenue. Apple sold 3.76 million Macs during the quarter, a 28 percent unit increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 18.65 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 113 percent unit growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 9.02 million iPods during the quarter, representing a 17 percent unit decline from the year-ago quarter. The Company also sold 4.69 million iPads during the quarter. "With quarterly revenue growth of 83 percent and profit growth of 95 percent, we're firing on all cylinders," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We will continue to innovate on all fronts throughout the remainder of the year." "We are extremely pleased with our record March quarter revenue and earnings and cash flow from operations of over $6.2 billion," said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO. "Looking ahead to the third fiscal quarter of 2011, we expect revenue of about $23 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $5.03." Apple will provide live streaming of its Q2 2011 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on April 20, 2011 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq211. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter. This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company's estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company's reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company's products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company's gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company's need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company's business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company's dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company's international operations; the Company's reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company's dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company's products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company's sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of other legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company's financial results is included from time to time in the "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" sections of the Company's public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2010, its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 25, 2010, and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 26, 2011 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices. NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple's PR website (www.apple.com/pr), or call Apple's Media Helpline at (408) 974-2042. © 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS and Macintosh are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Analysts Report Apple May Have Sold Nearly 90 Million iPhones Since Launch Apple Reports Record Quarter – 20.34 Billion Record Canalys stats show Android became world’s leading smartphone platform in Q4 2010 iPad sales higher than Mac sales at Apple? Total Wii sales surpass the GameCube in just over a year

Google Earth Builder For Businesses To Customize Maps On The Cloud Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:35 PM PDT Google has announced its newest mapping product targeted at the enterprise market called Google Earth Builder. The company stands firm at the top of mapping, with Google Maps arguably the most popular online mapping site and with Google Earth downloaded over 700,000,000 times. Google Earth Builder takes the popularity of Google Maps and Google Earth and lets businesses use this technology to build and store their own geospatial data in the Google cloud. Google Earth Builder will eliminate a lot of costs and restrictions enterprises currently have storing and using geospatial data. This type of data takes up large amounts of memory that costs a pretty penny, and it could be spread it out in multiple locations with different work groups. Google Earth Builder allows the business to centralize and streamline all this and save on cost by storing it in the cloud. Many government agencies and businesses use complex and expensive mapping software. Google's new product simplifies the map making and publishing process so that almost anyone can intuitively create a map specifically for their business. Businesses can decide who will have access to their geospatial information and since it will be stored on the cloud, it can be accessed from anywhere. Google Earth Builder lets users create multiple layers to their map and they can edit and highlight certain bits of information on the map. No price was given for Google Earth Builder, but it is expected to be "competitive" with other mapping software and will launch this summer. [via ReadWriteWeb] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Google Earth is now available for Android 2.1 Consumer Watchdog wants to know what the FBI and DEA are using Google Earth for Google launchs cloud-computing based Apps Marketplace Japanese dudes skydive Google Earth style Google Earth for iPhone released; Street View coming in firmware 2.2

SlashGear 101: What is a Jailbreak? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:24 PM PDT Almost for as long as Apple has made the iPhone, owners of the handset have hoped to coax more features out of it than are officially supported. That desire spawned the jailbreak scene, hacking the iPhone – and, since then, the iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV – to bypass some of Apple’s limitations. So what’s a jailbreak, why should you do it, and will Apple confiscate your iPhone if you try? Read on as SlashGear 101 brings you up to speed. What’s a Jailbreak and why should I be interested? Basically, it’s a way of modifying the software running on an Apple phone so that you can do things with it that Apple either didn’t envisage or isn’t keen on allowing. The most common reason to jailbreak your iPhone is to run apps that otherwise you couldn’t get. Apple is reasonably strict about what third-party software it lets into the App Store, and many developers have fallen foul of its rules. An iPhone which has been jailbroken, however, can access unofficial app stores, the best known of which is Cydia. That works very much like the official App Store, with a range of free and paid applications, but it doesn’t have the same restrictions for inclusion. Apps range from themes that change the appearance of the iPhone’s icons and menus, to tools that allow you to wirelessly synchronize with iTunes or replace Apple’s standard apps with different versions. Does it mean I can use my iPhone on something other than AT&T? No, there’s a difference between jailbreaking your iPhone and unlocking it. A jailbreak is a way to modify the iPhone software to gain more flexibility in what you can do with apps, broadly speaking. Unlocking, however, is a way to use your iPhone on a network other than the one you bought it with. In the US, that might mean using the iPhone 4 which AT&T sold you on T-Mobile USA’s network. We’ll cover unlocking in a future SlashGear 101. Is it legal or will Apple take its revenge on me somehow? It’s legal, but Apple doesn’t like it. A court ruling last year found that jailbreaking your iPhone was considered to be “fair use” and not something Apple could prosecute you for. However, Apple responded by highlighting that it would void owners’ warranties should they require a repair. Basically, if your iPhone ended up a non-functioning brick in the process, Apple’s Genius Bar wouldn’t be interested. Meanwhile, Apple has been working hard to close off each potential jailbreak hole as quickly as the hackers can discover them. Each iOS update generally shuts down one or more routes, though some are harder to block than others. Okay, so how do I do it? If you’re willing to take the risk, there are a few different methods to jailbreak an iPhone or other iOS-based device. Best known for their work are the iPhone Dev Team, an unofficial group of programmers who collaborate on modifications for Apple phones, tablets and other gadgets. Some of their jailbreak software is “tethered” but the preferred methods are “untethered.” With the former, every time you restart your iPhone you’ll need to have it plugged in via USB to your computer, or you’ll lose the jailbreak. An untethered jailbreak doesn’t suffer the same limitation. Usually it’s just a case of plugging in your phone, running an app and then restarting your freshly jailbroken iPhone. We’ll cover the mechanics of jailbreaking in a future SlashGear 101. Relevant Entries on SlashGear iPhone OS 4.0 jailbreak has a few major caveats iPhone 1.1.2 firmware released – Jailbreak no longer works Another geek shows off untethered Jailbreak for iPod and iPhone Greenposi0n for Mac debuts with support for Mac and more McAfee Labs worries about flaws remote jailbreak for iPhone exploits

DISH Network And EchoStar Respond After Court Rules In Favor Of TiVo Posted: 20 Apr 2011 12:24 PM PDT DISH Network and EchoStar have issued a statement regarding the recent ruling from the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals in their legal battle with TiVo over technology patent infringement. The battle has been ongoing since 2004 with rejected appeals and small victories along the way for DISH Network and EchoStar. The Federal Circuit ruled today that it has unanimously vacated a previous district court's contempt ruling but has a 7-5 split decision on the court’s ruling regarding disablement of subject devices. DISH Network and EchoStar plan to seek a review over of this part of the decision from the United States Supreme Court. They’re response to the ruling is as follows: "DISH Network and EchoStar are pleased that the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has unanimously vacated the district court's contempt ruling regarding our software design around. We are disappointed, however, that the Federal Circuit in a 7-5 split decision has affirmed the district court's ruling on the disablement question. We intend to seek review of that part of the decision by the United States Supreme Court and seek a stay of the injunction while doing so. We also will be making a motion to dissolve the injunction based on Tivo's recent representations to the Patent and Trademark Office substantially limiting the scope of the claims at issue in this case. Existing DISH Network customers with DVRs are not immediately impacted by these recent developments. The disablement ruling covers only certain older generation MPEG2 DVRs. We have already upgraded many of these customers and, if we are unsuccessful in obtaining a stay, we will work as quickly as possible to upgrade the remaining customers to our current generation DVRs, as these are not at issue in the ruling." The legal battle began in 2004 when TiVo said DISH Network, named EchoStar back then, was infringing on TiVo's "time-warp" technology that allowed users to pause, fast-forward, and rewind during live television. Many set-top boxes allow this type of functionality now. DISH Network is also looking to dissolve an injunction on a previous ruling based on TiVo's representations to the Patent and Trademark Office regarding the scope of the claims at issue. DISH Network says current customers should not be affected by the Federal Circuit's disablement decision, and that the ruling would only affect older MPEG2 DVRs. Most of their customers have upgraded beyond this version, but if DISH Network's request of a stay of injunction is unsuccessful they will upgrade the remaining customers as soon as possible. DISH Network's current generation of DVRs are not at issue with this ruling. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Another legal round for DISH and TIVO Dish Network purchase of Blockbuster Video approved by bankruptcy court Echostar’s TiVo appeal rejected: new DVR crippling likely Dish Network announces plans to keep 600 Blockbuster stores running Dish VIP 922 Slingbox DVR lands

iPhone / Samsung F700 / Prada Phone Rumors Debunked Posted: 20 Apr 2011 12:05 PM PDT The following image has been circulating the internet for the past few days, resulting in mass hysteria due to the fact that Apple is currently suing the pants off of Samsung for infringing on their copyrights. This image appears to show that the Samsung F700 was first shown at CEBIT 2006 and released in February of 2007. What whoever made the image didn’t take the time to do was check their facts and find that although Samsung may have spoken about advancing their cell phone plans previous to 2007, they only showed the F700 design for the first time February 8th, 2007. First, have a look at the following press release. It lets you know exactly when the F700 was released in early, but not early enough, 2007: Seoul, February 8th, 2007 – Samsung today announced a new addition to its Ultra portfolio with the introduction of Ultra Smart F700. This revolutionary mobile phone will be showcased at 3GSM World Congress, the largest telecommunications event, next week. The F700 features unrivaled design and brings a superior range of multimedia experiences to consumers. The Ultra Smart is a part of Samsung's Ultra portfolio which boasts a full touch screen as well as QWERTY key pad. It reflects the recent trend in telecommunications industry of touch screen user interface and, for users who are not yet familiar with a touch-screen-only user interface, it also implements a QWERTY key pad and VibeTonz technology which allows them to feel the buttons accompanied by responsive vibrations. A "Drag and drop" method of touch screen was adopted for easier menu navigation along with music play list control for an expanded multimedia experience. Volume, play lists, brightness of screens as well as other menu control can be controlled utilizing the touch screen. As speed is becoming crucial for data communications, Samsung has included the latest trends in mobile to the Ultra Smart F700. The Ultra Smart reflects the latest speed of 7.2 Mbps under the High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) network. Once the 7.2 Mbps HSDPA network completely deployed, F700 users can download an mp3 song (about 4MB each) in 4.4 seconds. A full HTML browser along with the QWERTY key pad enables easy access to the internet for e-mail and data services. Using the new F700, business and creative professionals are able to view content on a stunning 2.78″ color display. The device features first class entertainment with a top-of-the-line 5 mega-pixel camera with auto focus and Bluetooth. With 7.2 Mbps HSDPA, it makes it easier to watch videos, listen to songs, share high-quality photos, or catch up on email on the move. "The introduction of our Ultra Smart F700 reflects the needs of today's consumers by including features such as touch screen, enhanced connectivity to mobile internet, and access to an array of multimedia content," said Geesung Choi, President of Samsung's Telecommunications Network Business. "The Ultra Smart F700 is a good example of how mobile phone will evolve in the future. Samsung will focus on bringing products that reflect and pursue our position as a premium leader" If you take a look at the following post SlashGear at CeBIT: Samsung F700 Hands-On, you’ll notice that this is indeed the CeBIT the original sayers were probably speaking about – but it’s not 2006, it’s 2007. Have a look at our exclusive hands-on video below, and note that this video has been locked down since 2007 per Samsung’s request. This video today is unlocked just for this post so that you might see how unprepared the phone was for release at that time. Our intrepid Vincent Nguyen filmed this video at CeBIT in Hanover, Northern Germany again, in March of 2007: Next we’ve got a post on when the first images where released of the F700 on iPhonebuzz, one of our many relative sites. This story literally asks if the F700 is “an obvious answer to the iPhone’s full screen design.” This same month, we found out that the F700 would not be a US release. An interesting bit – the iPhone was for a while (and is sometimes still today) nicknamed the “Jesus Phone” – in September of 2007 the F700 was branded on Vodafone as the Croix, which translated from French to English is “cross.” Tinfoil hats! Next, just so we’re touching all the bases – the Prada phone. What about that phone, didn’t it also come out in 2007? Yes it did, the official info release being January 18th, 2007: Seoul, Jan 18,2007 — LG Electronics (LG), a pioneer in consumer electronics and mobile phones, and PRADA, one of the world's leading brands in the luxury goods industry , unveil the first completely touch screen mobile phone. The PRADA Phone by LG (KE850) is a real breakthrough in the industry, as it is a unique, sophisticated and elegant mobile phone with the first complete advanced touch interface. LG and PRADA have worked closely together on every aspect of the product, from handset development to marketing combining the attention to detail and uncompromising quality of PRADA design with the trademark technological innovation of LG mobile. PRADA's involvement extends beyond exterior aesthetics to the key elements of the user experience such as the advanced touch interface, ring tones, pre-loaded content, mobile phone accessories and the exclusive leather case, inspired by the classic Italian craftsmen tradition. "We at LG are exceptionally proud of the PRADA Phone by LG" says Dr. Scott Ahn, President & CEO of LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. He continues, "The two companies have worked together seamlessly towards a truly shared vision, to develop one of the most beautifully stylish handsets the market has ever seen." Visiting LG Headquarters in Seoul, Korea, Mr. Patrizio Bertelli, President and CEO of PRADA, said: "As we do with ready-to-wear and accessories, we were looking at a break-through. Consistent with our approach, we are not branding an existing product; rather, Miuccia and I have been working with LG to give this new phone a very strong character and unique style, both in its contents and in its design. We, just like our partners at LG, are known for the attention to detail and uncompromising quality of our products. And we find these characteristics in the new mobile phone." The PRADA Phone by LG introduces the world's first advanced touch interface which eliminates the conventional keypad making the overall usage experience a highly tactile one. An extra wide LCD screen maximizes visual impact, allowing the user to benefit from several key features of the phone, including the 2 megapixel camera featuring Schneider-Kreuznach lens, video player and document viewer capacity. Above all, these features contribute to the phone's beautifully sleek and simplistic appearance. Glowing icons on the face of the phone disappear when not in use to reveal a pure, un-adulterated black exterior. The phone is ultra thin (just 12 mm), nonetheless it hosts an array of additional multimedia functions, including an MP3 player and a music multitasking function for messaging. It also boasts an external memory slot, allowing the user to increase memory capacity for images, music and film clips. The PRADA Phone by LG will be available with prices starting from 600 Euros in mobile dealerships as well as selected PRADA stores in the UK, France, Germany and Italy as of late February, 2007, followed by countries in Asia such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore from late March, 2007. The Korean version of the phone is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2007. Next, lets talk about the drop date of the iPhone: January 9th, 2007 at Macworld. This is where Steve Jobs initially let loose the announcement that there would be an iPhone. Have a look at our in-person proof on iPhonebuzz and you’ll have an epiphany about what’s about to happen to Samsung… maybe. Then there’s the following image, a letter from Apple to the FCC requesting that they keep hidden their documents that ended up being for the iPhone – October 12th, 2006: Look definitive enough for you? Relevant Entries on SlashGear Rumor: Samsung F700 "Croix" coming to US? SlashGear at CeBIT: Samsung F700 Hands-on LG climbs into bed with Microsoft under their PRADA sheets? SlashGear Exclusive: Video hands-on with Samsung’s F700 iPhone-rival Apple iPhone, the Prada Clone?

Facebook Headquarters Hosting Obama’s Town Hall Meeting Today Posted: 20 Apr 2011 12:03 PM PDT We mentioned earlier this month that President Obama is taking full leverage of social media with plans to host an online town hall meeting from Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, CA. Well, the time is here, and the meeting will start streaming live today at 1:45pm PDT or 4:45pm EDT. If you want to hear about his budget plans and join the discussion on the economy, then make sure to RSVP on the event page. The event will be streamed on the White House’s Facebook page with questions being selected from Facebook users that have signed up for the event. As of yesterday, over 25,000 people have RSVPed to take part in the virtual meeting. The actual meeting on location at Facebook headquarters with Mark Zuckerberg is not open to the public. This will be Obama’s second time leveraging Facebook, the first being in 2008 when the social platform was crucial to his recruiting of volunteers and raising funds for his presidential race. If you want to join in on the discussion on ways to reduce the $1.4 trillion US budget deficit, there is still time to sign up. [via USA Today] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Obama Hosting Town Hall Meeting On Facebook Vincent is at the show and ready, are you? Apple to dedicate a portion of today’s Town Hall meeting to gaming? New iPod Video in August? Microsoft Offer of $15 BILLION Rejected by Facebook

Jasper Transducer Cell Speaks Your Language Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:12 AM PDT Have a look at what amounts to a really odd concept and a surprisingly radical new look at how a mobile phone aught to be shaped. The official name that the designer of this product has chosen is “Transducer Mobile Phone Concept” – true to conceptual industrial design form, of course. As the designer’s name is Jasper Hou and he’s added his name as a brand on the device, we’re going to go ahead and keep calling it the Jasper Transducer. This device, as you’re soon to find out, allows you to translate your calls rather than just translate your voice in person. This is a function that Google will almost certainly look into for future versions of Google Translate as they’ve already got their in-person translation well underway. Can you imagine? Call up Australia Bart Simpson style and actually understand what they’re saying! – Just kidding, this device does not work with Australian accents. What it DOES do is work with GPS, has a transparent LCD display, multiple color options for the case in the single phone (since it’s all lights,) and has a scan-to-translate function for all your sign and book reading needs. Furthermore it’s got at least one camera, notification light bar, and just for fun let’s say it runs on Android. Clearly it’s still so far back on the assembly line that it doesn’t need to specifically run anything, but the way the icons are arranged over the display, I’d root for Android all day long. It can do anything! What do you think? Next Nokia phone? How about Windows Phone 7? [via Yanko Design] Relevant Entries on SlashGear AT&T choses Jasper for 3G device help Google Talk – Expanding our language skills on its own Intel tip Jasper Forest embedded Xeon CPU ahead of IDF MobileASL Project Brings American Sign Language to Cell Phones Rumor – New 65nm-equipped 360s to show up in August

ThinkGeek iCADE iPad arcade cabinet finally gets shipping date Posted: 20 Apr 2011 10:08 AM PDT One of ThinkGeek’s most popular April Fools’ jokes of recent years has been the iCADE arcade cabinet for the iPad, and having been green-lighted the retro peripheral is finally going on sale. ThinkGeek has just told us that pre-orders for the iCADE kick off today, with the cabinet expected to ship from May 20. Priced at $99.99, ThinkGeek’s version of the iCADE will have the same retro “April Fools” graphics as the original prank. Bluetooth is used to hook up to your iPad, which slots into the screen section, giving you a proper arcade joystick and controls to use. It’s all ideal for Atari’s “Greatest Hits” gaming collection, released into the App Store earlier this month. Later on, ThinkGeek intends to release an iCADE API so that developers can use the controls in their own titles. Best order quickly, though; the first batch has apparently already been sold, so anybody pre-ordering now will be getting units from the second batch. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ThinkGeek iCade arcade cabinet for iPad is fake with real promise iPad Arcade Cabinet “iCade” By Ion Audio To Bring Retro Fun In May iCade iPad arcade cabinet release “a possibility” say ThinkGeek iPad Used in a Real Working Arcade Unit Geeky DIY iPad docks grab their 15 minutes of fame

Samsung HMX-W200 rugged Full HD camcorder didn’t get the Flip memo Posted: 20 Apr 2011 09:13 AM PDT Cisco may be ditching Flip, but that doesn’t mean other manufacturers aren’t keen to put out point-and-shoot HD camcorders. Samsung‘s HMX-W200 is the latest, a Full HD capable camera with a shock, water, dust and general-mistreatment resilient casing. Packing a 5-megapixel CMOS sensor, the W200 has an anti-water coating on its 2.3-inch 230k dot preview display, which Samsung reckons will prevent it from misting up with condensation. Handy for a sauna, though most of the time you’re probably not allowed to film in there anyway. Other specs include still shooting with autofocus and an F2.2 lens, digital image stabilization and microSD/SDHC for storage. The 1,300mAh battery is apparently good for up to 2hrs of continuous use, and it’ll withstand 3m submersion in water or 2m drops. A flip-out USB plug makes for easy offloading of your footage, and while you could obviously then spend time post-processing it, the W200 itself allows you to momentarily pause recording (without then starting a new file) as well as offering a couple of video effects (including an “extreme sports” style fish-eye setting). The Samsung HMX-W200 will go on sale in May, priced at $159. Press Release: Samsung Introduces Multi-Proof W200 Pocket Cam for Full HD Filming Anywhere The ideal vacation pocket cam features the best in imaging technology and specialized underwater features for great video anywhere SEOUL, Korea – April 20, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, has announced the launch of its W200 Pocket Cam. The W200 is designed so it can be taken anywhere to capture brilliant video in the toughest conditions, particularly underwater, thanks to features such as a 5 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor and F2.2 Bright Lens. Created for those whose active lifestyles demand both durability and quality, it houses Samsung's leading imaging technology in a shock, water and dust-proof rugged body. The W200 is built to withstand the elements to produce high-quality video in almost any circumstance and thanks to specialized functions, it makes brilliant underwater video easier to achieve than ever. It is waterproof up to three meters, making it suitable for great video of a relaxed day by the pool or even up-close shots of coral reefs. The W200's anti-water drop coating also means that the LCD screen will stay free of condensation, even in damp conditions, so you can film without wiping the screen. The lens also features anti-fog coating that lets steam disperse so you always have clear, blur-free videos and pictures even straight after coming out of the pool. To make capturing amazing underwater footage simple, the W200 also includes an Aqua Mode setting, which automatically sets the ideal parameters for the bright and clear underwater video. Despite being slim and compact, it is also shock-proof and dust-proof and so is the perfect addition to a backpack for any trip and robust enough for worry-free family vacations with young children. Because the W200 is designed to be taken anywhere, it also comes with a built-in USB arm to make it easy to share your adventure. Innovative Samsung technology ensures that filming on-the-go never means a loss of image quality or brightness. The W200 is built with a 5-megapixel BSI (Back Side Illuminated) CMOS sensor, which delivers double the sensitivity of previous CMOS sensors, capturing footage with dramatically reduced image noise and distortion. Along with this, the W200 includes a bright F2.2 lens to give users the ability to shoot during low-light conditions for stunningly clear, sharp, blur-free images. The camcorder shoots in Full HD resolution to let you capture every moment in rich, dynamic detail and displays your video on a 2.3" 230K clear pixel LCD screen. In addition to delivering high-quality video, the W200 makes it easy to both manage your video files and be creative with them too. With Samsung's Record Pause feature, users can pause briefly during filming and then resume from the exact same moment. When filming is complete, footage will all be in the same file, removing the need to merge them and making uploading and sharing hassle-free. To have more fun with filming, whether at the waterpark, on a rollercoaster or just capturing a special family moment, the W200 has two special Smart Filter features. Vignetting allows users to fade the edges of shots and the Fish-Eye setting creates an arty, distorted feel for unique and interesting footage. "The W200 is the ideal Pocket Cam for anyone who wants to experience life to the fullest and share those experiences with friends and family," said Mr. Hyunho Chung, Executive Vice President and Head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. "It's tough enough for filming a backpacking trip or vacation with small children, and light enough to carry around with you every day, so that you never miss a moment. We've used the latest in Samsung technology to make sure that you're able to capture a faithful memory of your experiences, wherever you go. The W200 is the Pocket Cam that you'd never want to leave at home – it's reliable and easy to use, whatever adventure you're setting out on." Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung SC DC164 camcorder Flip MinoHD camcorder with 120-minute capacity debuts Flip Video offers Flip Video Action Tripod Samsung HMX-R10 Full-HD camcorder ships May 15th IFA 2007 – Samsung shows off tiny VP-HMX10A camcorder

iPhone 4 design patent granted as Apple/Samsung fight continues Posted: 20 Apr 2011 08:52 AM PDT Given the ongoing legal spat between Apple and Samsung, it seems particularly timely for Apple’s patent on the original design of the iPhone 4 to be granted by the USPTO. Filed back in September 2010, and approved earlier this week, the patent covers all angles of the fourth-gen smartphone’s physical design. The iOS UI – which is another area where Apple claims Samsung has taken a little too much inspiration – isn’t actually included in this particular patent. Anything shown with a broken line isn’t part of the filing. Of course, Apple’s main complaint regarding Samsung concerns not so much the iPhone 4 but the design of the iPhone 3G/3GS, which the company reckons is far too similar to the Galaxy S to be coincidental. Apple holds the ornamental design patents for those previous generation handsets, too. [via Engadget] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple granted patent for iPhone design sans home button Nokia Gets Design Patent for (MeeGo?) Tablet Apple gets exciting new patent granted! Apple’s iPhone gets a direct reference Walking On Water Patented

T-Mobile G-Slate, G2x and Sidekick 4G arrive in-store Posted: 20 Apr 2011 08:21 AM PDT If you’re into Android and have a taste for GSM frequencies, then T-Mobile USA may be the best place for you today. The T-Mobile G-Slate we reviewed earlier this week is finally on sale, priced at $529.99 with a new, two-year agreement, while the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G is also fresh to the carrier’s shelves, in black or magenta, priced at $99.99. Over at Android Community the intrepid Chris Burns has been putting the T-Mobile Sidekick 4G through its paces. Can the first Android-based Sidekick live up to the Danger legacy, or is this just another QWERTY Samsung with social aspirations? Finally, the G2x is finally headed into T-Mobile retail stores, having been exclusively available online since last week. Our T-Mobile G2x review will be going live very soon, so keep reading SlashGear! Relevant Entries on SlashGear New Sidekick LE and LX coming from T-Mobile? Sidekick 3 UK – in stores now! T-Mobile Sidekick 4G release date revealed by RadioShack Sidekick III coming to the UK? T-Mobile Sidekick Slide power off problem – sales suspended

PlayBook sales “far exceeding” XOOM demand says analyst Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:40 AM PDT RIM may have sold 45,000 BlackBerry PlayBook tablets on the QNX slate’s first day of availability, according to estimates from analysts Jefferies & Co. Surveys among retailers revealed around 20,000 PlayBook sales on the day, reports eWeek, while pre-orders for the tablet are believed to have amounted to a further 25,000 units. Meanwhile, enterprise users – RIM’s original target audience – are believed to be even more interested than consumers showing up in stores yesterday. “We also estimate enterprise preorders to be meaningfully higher than consumer” analyst Peter Misek suggested, going on to predict that ”PlayBook sales are far exceeding MMI’s [Motorola Mobility's] XOOM sales.” Not everybody has been convinced, however, and early reviews of the PlayBook – ours included – criticized the 7-inch tablet for its shonky firmware and dependence on a BlackBerry smartphone for key apps like mail, calendar and contacts. Meanwhile the iPad 2, although yet to have any official sales figures attached from Apple itself, is believed to have sold in the region of 500,000 units on its first day of availability. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Verizon, AT&T “pleased” with Xoom and Atrix sales 1m BlackBerry PlayBook tablets incoming in Q1 2011 Sony’s Move Sells Around 1.5 Million in Europe, Far Less in the US Motorola XOOM and ATRIX 4G sales failures claims analyst MacBook Air sales dropping fast

iPhone and iPad 3G caught keeping secret location tracking database [Video] Posted: 20 Apr 2011 07:18 AM PDT Apple has tracked every iPhone and iPad 3G user’s physical location since the release of iOS 4.0, security researchers have discovered, with a secret backup of positions and timestamps kept on any Mac or PC the devices are synchronized with. Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden found that, from iOS 4.0, an unencrypted and otherwise unprotected database of locations has been created for each user, and have even produced an app, iPhone Tracker, to demonstrate exactly how much data is being clandestinely collected. That database – “consolidated.db” – contains latitude-longitude coordinates along with a timestamp for each point. What prompts each individual record is unknown, but it appears to be using cell-tower triangulation on devices fitted with 3G radios to pinpoint location with varying degrees of accuracy. Location isn’t the only data it seems that iOS 4.x has been gathering. A list of wireless hotspots the iPhone or iPad has connected to has also been spotted. As the researchers point out, usually data of this sort would require a court order to extract from cellphone companies, but Apple is leaving it on users’ machines in plain text. Their advice, until Apple responds at least, is to encrypt your iPhone/iPad backups, which can be done by choosing “Encrypt iPhone Backup” in the Options section of iTunes. Overview: Tracking Demo: Washington DC to New York via Amtrak: [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/22610355[/vimeo] Tracking Demo: Oxford, Cambridge and London: [vimeo]http://vimeo.com/22608787[/vimeo] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Apple location tracking raises privacy ire; iAd opt-out unearthed iPhone to get location based social networking and video calling iPhone 4, iPad 2, and iMovie Make Breaking News Footage iPad App Store pried open early: Netflix, ABC, NYT & more [Video] iPad 2 Display Gets Glasses-Free 3D Effect [Video]

Idiot arrested after trying to rob store with a game controller Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:59 AM PDT Some people are just plain dumb. A man was arrested for trying to rob a small store using a Sony game controller. The man is 20-year-old Cameron Pittman and he is now facing charges of strong-arm robbery and violation of probation. I wonder if he thought using a game controller wouldn’t get him in as much trouble as a real gun if he was caught. Apparently, this moron put the controller in his pocket, went into the store, and tried to rob the place. The attempted heist was in Florida. The guy was caught when a police officer walked into the store in the middle of the robbery and arrested Pittman. Pittman dropped the remote and gave up. That’s gangsta’ right there. [via Bay News 9] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Man arrested for threatening to shoot his iPhone in Apple Store LG Versa Game Controller on sale: $29.99 Man Busts Through Wall to Steal GameStop Merchandise, Gets Arrested Power Gig handmade six string guitar controller rocks Big Button Xbox 360 Controller

Sony PSP Go production axed as focus shifts to NGP Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:51 AM PDT Farewell, sweet PSP Go, there’s obviously only room for one gaming slider with PlayStation pretensions. Sony has apparently confirmed that production of the PSP Go has been stopped, telling AV Watch that its current stock will be the final units available. Sony will continue to support the PSP Go, and firmware updates are apparently still in the works, but for now the PSP-3000 will be the only portable gaming hardware the company sells. That’s aside from the Sony Ericsson XPERIA Play, of course. According to Sony, clearing out the PSP Go will allow them to focus on the NGP, the Next Generation Portable expected to hit the market later in 2011. More on the Sony NGP in our recent SlashGear 101 feature. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Axed Nokia 5MP slider stars in final photoshoot Sony planning LCD HDTV outsourcing to Foxconn/Wistron? Toshiba Halts OLED Production, Focuses on LCD Instead Sony to kill NEX-3 camera line already? Sony puts triple-CMOS HD quality in a prosumer camcorder

Amazon Library Lending for Kindle eBooks coming later in 2011 Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:29 AM PDT Unofficial ebook libraries, where users share digital books between themselves, have flourished in a murky legal halfway house so far, but Amazon is looking to make the whole thing official – albeit on its own terms. Later this year will see the launch of Library Lending for Kindle Books, offering Kindle-format ebooks from 11,000 libraries across the US. The ebooks will be readable both on dedicated Kindle hardware – from all three generations – as well as in Amazon’s Kindle apps for iOS, Android, PC, Mac and other platforms. Any notes or annotations made will be preserved and visible again if you re-borrow or later purchase the ebook (though not visible to other borrowers). Amazon is partnering with OverDrive for the Library Lending launch, so we’re presuming that there will be 7-21 day limitations on loan periods, and that each title will only be available to one person at a time, just as with a physical book. The service will launch at an unspecified point later in 2011. Press Release: AMAZON TO LAUNCH LIBRARY LENDING FOR KINDLE BOOKS Customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 local libraries to read on Kindle and free Kindle reading apps Whispersyncing of notes, highlights and last page read to work for Kindle library books SEATTLE—April 20, 2011—(NASDAQ: AMZN)— Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps. "We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps." Customers will be able to check out a Kindle book from their local library and start reading on any Kindle device or free Kindle app for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry, or Windows Phone. If a Kindle book is checked out again or that book is purchased from Amazon, all of a customer's annotations and bookmarks will be preserved. "We’re doing a little something extra here," Marine continued. "Normally, making margin notes in library books is a big no-no. But we’re extending our Whispersync technology so that you can highlight and add margin notes to Kindle books you check out from your local library. Your notes will not show up when the next patron checks out the book. But if you check out the book again, or subsequently buy it, your notes will be there just as you left them, perfectly Whispersynced." With Kindle Library Lending, customers can take advantage of all of the unique features of Kindle and Kindle books, including: Paper-like Pearl electronic-ink display No glare even in bright sunlight Lighter than a paperback – weighs just 8.5 ounces and holds up to 3,500 books Up to one month of battery life with wireless off Read everywhere with free Kindle apps for Android, iPad, iPod touch, iPhone, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Windows Phone Whispersync technology wirelessly sync your books, notes, highlights, and last page read across Kindle and free Kindle reading apps Real Page Numbers – easily reference passages with page numbers that correspond to actual print editions Amazon is working with OverDrive, the leading provider of digital content solutions for over 11,000 public and educational libraries in the United States, to bring a seamless library borrowing experience to Kindle customers. "We are excited to be working with Amazon to offer Kindle Library Lending to the millions of customers who read on Kindle and Kindle apps," said Steve Potash, CEO, OverDrive. "We hear librarians and patrons rave about Kindle, so we are thrilled that we can be part of bringing library books to the unparalleled experience of reading on Kindle." Kindle Library Lending will be available later this year for Kindle and free Kindle app users. To learn more about Kindle go to www.amazon.com/kindle. Relevant Entries on SlashGear eBook Lending for Kindle feature coming this year Kindle ebook loans now available Amazon Pulls the Plug on Lendle Lending Service Amazon confirm ebooks coming to mobile devices Kindle 2 upgrade program tipped; Amazon eBooks coming to cellphones

Motorola XOOM crosses FCC, bound for AT&T? Posted: 20 Apr 2011 06:21 AM PDT The Motorola Xoom tablet has been around for a while now here in the states and you can pick one up if you want that runs on the sprint WiMax area. If you don't like Sprint or live outside a WiMax area, that feature won’t do you any good. If your carrier of choice is AT&T, a version of the Xoom tablet has crossed the FCC test bench to get the approvals it needs the head to the AT&T network. The device is called the IHDT56ME1 and it has test reports talking about WCDMA bands II and V support meaning 850Mhz and 1900MHz. Considering that those are the same bands that AT&T users for its mobile network the safe money says that the new tablet is bound for big blue. There is no indication when the tablet might land at this point. [via Ubergizmo] Relevant Entries on SlashGear $1,200 Motorola XOOM listing: madness or mistake? Motorola XOOM WiFi reappears with inflated price Motorola XOOM pre-order at Best Buy: February 24 release Motorola’s XOOM 3G arrives in UK from £130 Motorola XOOM WiFi gets cheaper

AT&T offers up Q1 2011 financials: iPhone sales surge Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:54 AM PDT AT&T has offered up the details on its financials for Q1 2011. As with all financials there are tons of facts and numbers inside the documents that outline just about everything you need to know about the financial status of AT&T at this point. I think there are only a few key points that the average geek might be interested in. One of those is that AT&T saw a 10.2% growth in wireless revenues and an 8.6% increase in wireless service revenues. That may be a surprise to some with Verizon having the iPhone 4 now. The consolidated revenue for AT&T was $31.2 billion in the quarter for an increase of 2.3% from the same quarter a year ago. AT&T also had an increase of nearly a million iPhone activations year over year to 3.6 million with 23% of the new subscribers getting the iPhone. iPhone subscriber churn also remained unchanged year over year. The key to that last statement in my opinion is that most of the iPhone 4 users are still under contract. We will see how much that churn rate grows when those early adopter contracts expire. The iPhone accounts for 60% of AT&T smartphone sales for 5.5 million units sold and 46% of postpaid users. [via AT&T] Relevant Entries on SlashGear HP announces Q3 2010 financials Google Offers not going head to head with Groupon Nokia pays $6m to poach CEO Elop; Lists potential Windows Phone perils Google Offers trial to take on Groupon Phoenix Gold to show OEM integration i-Series car amp at CES 2011

Motorola delays Droid Bionic for enhancements Posted: 20 Apr 2011 05:28 AM PDT When the Droid Bionic smartphone finally does launch, I hope it has a ringtone that makes that ne-neee-neee-nee sound Lee Majors made when using his bionic powers. Motorola has announced that the Droid Bionic has been delayed so that it can add enhancements to the device. The enhancements were the result of feedback from CES. Exactly what enhancements are being made is unclear at this point. The Bionic was originally to land in Q2 with Verizon Wireless. The device will run on the Verizon 4G network and it is the first 4G smartphone from Motorola. A Motorola spokesperson told the WSJ, “Based on compelling feedback since [Consumer Electronics Show in January], we are incorporating several enhancements to make this an even better consumer experience.” The bionic was one of the big reveals at CES for Motorola. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Motorola ATRIX 4G & DROID Bionic overheating in testing? [Updated] Verizon enabling Flash Player 10.1 for Motorola DROID Pics of Motorola Targa, Droid X 2, and Droid 3 surface Motorola DROID OTA update fixes autofocus, more Motorola sold 100K DROIDs in first weekend

ARM dual-core Cortex-A15 in late 2012 and quad-core parts “later” Posted: 20 Apr 2011 04:56 AM PDT When it comes to processors for all sorts of smartphones and tablets ARM parts are right at the top of the most used list. That means that there are a lots of smartphone makers that are constantly on the lookout for what the next big thing from ARM will be. ARM has offered up its latest roadmap that outlines the processors coming from it in the future. One of the most notable facts from the roadmap is that the next gen ARM Cortex-A15 dual core processor had been moved up. Moving a product to an early release is a welcome change from the new products that are often delayed. The A15 will come in both dual-core and single core versions. Perhaps even more tantalizing is that ARM has noted that a quad-core version of the A15 will land “later” according to Engadget. That quad-core part will probably not be available until sometime in 2013. ARM claims that the new processor will offer a five times improvement in performance. Samsung, ST-Ericsson and TI are already licensing the tech. [via Engadget] Relevant Entries on SlashGear ARM CPU roadmap leaks: Taurus Cortex-A8 in 2010, quadcore 1.2GHz Cortex A9 in 2012 Intel to Launch Quad-Core Chips This Year Apple releases their new Dual Quad-Core Mac Pro AMD triple-core processors to hit retail in February 08 Intel Core i7-975 3.33GHz coming May 31st

Compufon Android smartphone coming in Q4 with loads of awesome in tow Posted: 20 Apr 2011 04:29 AM PDT We all see concept devices on occasion that look really cool and we think that they will likely never make it to reality. The Compufon from Kosmaz Technologies is a concept right now, but the phone is going to be made according to the company. In fact Kosmaz is shooting for Q4 2011 right now so be looking at stores come Christmas time. The phone will run Android 3.0 as the OS and for now, the hardware inside the blocky, rectangular body is a big unknown. The company says the Compufon will use next gen CPU and GPUs and the company sees it as a Web TV for use in the home. One of the coolest things about the Compufon is the awesome tablet dock that is available. The tablet has a big 10.6-inch screen, stereo speakers, Bluetooth headphones, and a longer lasting battery. It will weigh under 1.5 pounds and has a leather case with a Bluetooth keyboard inside. Pricing is unannounced at this time. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Samsung Omnia i900 gets Android in dual-boot OS hack FCC offers details on Acer Liquid Metal S120 Android smartphone Hulu Plus hitting Android “in coming months” LG GT540 Android smartphone unearthed in user agent profile Samsung may drop Windows Mobile for Android

Toshiba T851/D8CR notebook can show 2D and 3D content at once Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:48 AM PDT I think 3D is cool on a notebook or a TV, but some things I prefer to view in 2D. I don't want to have to read a lot of text wearing 3D glasses for instance. Some video I prefer in 2D as well, especially if the effects are the sort that are hard on eyes. Toshiba has a cool new notebook that is able to show both 2D and 3D video on the screen at one time. The new notebook is the first notebook to be able to offer 3D and 2D effects simultaneously on the screen. It is called the Toshiba Dynabook Qosmio T851/D8CR. The notebook needs no glasses for 3D effects, which is a huge plus for most users. The webcam on the computer supports face tracking to make the glasses free 3D work. The machine is also able to turn 2D video into 3D video if the user wants. The heart of the machine is an Intel Core i5 processor and graphics is handled by the GeForce GT 540M GPU. The screen is 15.6-inches wide and it has a full 1080p HD resolution. The Os is windows 7 Home Premium. It has a Blu-ray player, 750GB of storage, and 8GB of RAM. Pricing hasn’t been announced and it will launch officially in July. Relevant Entries on SlashGear 320GB 2.5-inch drive from Toshiba is the world’s largest Toshiba outs new Satellite A665-3D notebook series Toshiba debuts new dynabook Qosmio V65 notebook with dedicated SpursEngine for video AMD-powered Toshiba laptops on the way Toshiba Dynabook satellite TXW/69DW

Skype for Android adds US 3G voice calls Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:39 AM PDT A new Skype for Android update has enabled 3G voice calls in the US, addressing one of the biggest complaints users have made about the free VoIP software. The new app, v1.0.0.983, brings the same 3G calling functionality as international users have been enjoying to the US, rather than limiting it to the Verizon version of the Skype app as has been the case until now. Meanwhile, there’s also a security fix in the new version. Skype is yet to confirm exactly what it is, but we’re guessing it’s something to do with recent complaints that the app can share personal information without users realizing it. Skype is a free download from the Android Market, though obviously you’ll need a (free) account to actually use it. More details here. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Skype Android app with video chat due in 2010 Android Community reviews Skype with video for Android Skype for iPhone gets 3G VoIP; subscription fee from September iPhone OS 3.0 allows Skype over 3G Skype for Android released: free 3G/WiFi VoIP and IM [Update: WiFi-only in US]

YouTube video now in WebM format Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:33 AM PDT You can’t be online without being familiar with YouTube and the hoards of questionably made videos that are available there for people to watch. I would wager most web users have uploaded videos to the site as well. YouTube has announced today that it is transcoding video in a new format when it is uploaded by the user. The new format that YouTube is using is WebM. The reason for the move to WebM is to allow the video to be played on any device by users from all around the world without needing a different plug-in. WebM is an open media format for audio and video on the web according to YouTube. YouTube will continue to support H.264 format as well. YouTube notes that it is working right now to transcode more of the videos on its site into WebM to reduce the technical issues that prevent users for accessing video. It will take a while to transcode all the video on YouTube to the new format, the streaming video company notes that each day about six years worth of video is uploaded. The most viewed videos on the site are getting transcoded first and when the workload on the server farms at YouTube is light, more of the processing power will be put to Transcoding the back catalog of video. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Google Announces WebM Open-Source Video Format WebM tip Android “Gingerbread” coming in Q4 2010 Microsoft releases H.264 plugin for Chrome; IE9 WebM video via plugin Sony VGN-UX50 UMPC frolics for the camera Casio announces two new Exilim “YouTube cameras”

Latest version of Apple TV still selling well Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:17 AM PDT I have the original Apple TV and I can say without a doubt it was a worthless device for me. I used it maybe three times and it sits crammed into a drawer unused today. The new Apple TV had some changes to make it smaller and work better and so far, it has proven to me considerably more popular than that original device. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from Concord Securities published the findings of a survey conducted of Apple suppliers this week that shows sales of the new Apple TV have merited consistent since the device launched last year. Sales of the Apple TV hit 250,000 units in the first six weeks and hit a million sold right before Christmas of 2010. The new device launched in October 2010. Kuo believes that Apple has shipped 820,000 units of the Apple TV in Q2 fiscal 2011 running from January to March. This is all the more impressive since Apple considered the Apple TV a hobby and is nowhere near as aggressive with marketing and talking about the TV product as it is the iPhone and iPad. [via AppleInsider] Relevant Entries on SlashGear iPhone 3G selling in France without a contract Is Apple losing money on the Apple TV? Scosche flipSYNC II keychain charge cable ships iOS 4.3 Beta 2 Released Buy.com sells Unlocked iPhone 3G for $799

Samsung catching up with Intel in semiconductor market revenue Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:05 AM PDT When it comes to the semiconductor market, we tend to think that there are only Intel and AMD because most of us just think about computer processors. Intel is at the top of the overall semiconductor market in revenue, which includes processors for all sorts of devices from computers to smartphones and more. However, a company that might surprise you is right on its heels. AMD is way down the list if top semiconductor firms in revenue behind a bunch of companies that you may not even be aware exist. AMD sits at number 12 in the rankings of the top 25 semiconductor suppliers for 2010 and in 2009; it had the number eight spot showing things are going the wrong way for AMD. The second place company in the semiconductor market for 2010 is Samsung’s, it held the same spot in 2009 as well. The cool thing is that Samsung Electronics is growing much faster in the semiconductor market today that Intel is. The percent change for Samsung between 2009 and 2010 was 59.1%. At the same time, Intel grew 25.5%. More telling is that Samsung had 9.2% of the total global revenue for the market and Intel had 13.3% showing just how close Samsung is to be the largest firm on a revenue basis. [via iSuppli] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel Reports Q1 Results Exceed Expectations Thanks To Enterprise Strength Intel posts record quarter Things are looking up for Intel and the computer industry AMD lowers 4Q revenue expectations Intel to build chips for start-up called Achronix Semiconductor Corp

Intel CEO confirms Honeycomb-on-x86 port; Medfield phones in next 12 months Posted: 20 Apr 2011 03:01 AM PDT Intel has confirmed that it has received the Android 3.0 Honeycomb code from Google, and that it is “actively” working on porting the tablet-centric platform to run on x86 chips like its Atom processors. Revealed during Intel’s glowing Q1 financial results call, president and CEO Paul Otellini said that the company was working with “first-tier notebook vendors” on Android tablets using Intel processors. Leaks back in March suggested Intel was readying as many as eight Android-on-x86 devices for demonstration at IDF Beijing this month. “We are seeing very good design momentum with Oak Trail across multiple operating systems. Over the course of this year, Intel will have tablet platforms that run Windows, Android, and MeeGo” Paul Otellini, CEO, Intel The exact identities of those vendors involved is still unconfirmed, though it’s worth noting that Intel revealed – and then pulled – a product page for an Atom Z670 based version of ASUS’ Eee Pad Slider earlier this week. Otellini says Intel “expect to be able to ramp those [Honeycomb-based] machines over the course of this year for a number of customers,” though will also be pushing ahead with Windows and MeeGo. The CEO claimed Intel would be showing off “a number of designs” at Computex 2011. “In terms of phones, obviously we lost Nokia, which took a lot of the wind out of the sails for phones this year … We’ve redirected those resources onto a number of other major accounts, focusing on carriers who want their own devices, and also on handset manufacturers … They’re all based on Medfield, which I think is still the first 32 nanometer phone apps processor in the industry” Paul Otellini As for x86-based phones, the timescales are less impressive. “I would be very disappointed if we didn’t see Intel-based phones for sale 12 months from now” Otellini admitted, going on to say that the company was “actively working with a large number of handset manufacturers and carriers around the world on Medfield-based designs.” [via The Register] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Intel Medfield smartphones/MIDs on sale Q3 2011 tip insiders Intel “Medfield” Atom Coming in 2010 Intel: We’ll beat ARM on active power efficiency with Medfield Intel Medfield smartphone prototype gets brief preview Intel Medfield smartphones tipped for 2011

Motorola’s XOOM 3G arrives in UK from £130 Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:29 AM PDT UK retailer Carphone Warehouse has thrown open sales of the 3G-enabled Motorola XOOM, with the 10.1-inch Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet available both SIM-free and unlocked, or subsidized with various data plans. Alone, the XOOM 3G is £579.99 ($948), while you can grab it from £129.99 ($213) if you’re willing to commit to 24-months of data. £25 per month and £129.99 upfront gets you 5GB per month; alternatively, pay £199.99 for the XOOM and that same £25 gets you unlimited data. There are month-to-month plans available as well, though you’ll have to pay the full, unsubsidized amount for the tablet itself. While we criticized the XOOM – and Honeycomb – for being only part-finished in our reviews, both the platform and the hardware do have plenty of promise. Whether they’re enough to take on the iPad 2 remains to be seen. [via Android Community] Relevant Entries on SlashGear WiFi-only Motorola XOOM clears FCC Motorola seeks trademark on Xoom name Motorola XOOM crosses FCC, bound for AT&T? Motorola DROID XOOM tablet to have optional 4G LTE, go on sale February 14? Motorola’s Weird Xoom Ad: Now in English!

Square Reader lands in Apple Store (& they’ll pay you to buy it) Posted: 20 Apr 2011 02:05 AM PDT Mobile payments system Square may not be on VeriFone’s Christmas card list, but it seems someone at Apple has a soft spot for the system. Square CEO Jack Dorsey has confirmed that, as of this week, the reader dongle will be available in all US Apple stores, priced at $9.95, as well as online. Both white and black versions of the reader are available, each plugging into your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad’s headphone socket and working alongside the Square app to accept mobile payments. That $9.95 also gets you $10 of credit, so in fact Square is paying you $0.05 for the privilege of signing up; alternatively you can download the app and request a free reader dongle through the mail. There’s a 2.75-percent transaction fee payable each time you accept money using Square, and the system takes US-issued Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover cards. Payments are deposited into your bank account daily. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Hong Kong’s First Apple Store To Open This Year Square iPhone 4 reader redesigned after antenna issues Largest Apple Store in London GV Mobile+ Lands in the Apple App Store Square hits back at VeriFone: “not a fair or accurate claim”

Toshiba 6-tuner Regza 3D ZG2 HDTVs and BZ-series Blu-ray DVRs revealed Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:46 AM PDT It’s not just Toshiba’s AT300 tablet which is fresh to the company’s Regza range today. Toshiba also has a trio of Regza 3D HDTVs – the 55ZG2, 47ZG2 and 42ZG2 – along with three new Blu-ray DVRs – the RD-BZ810, RD-BZ710 and RD-BZ610 – each hitting Japan in late May. The Regza ZG2 line have IPS displays measuring in at 42-, 47- or 55-inches, 16-segment LED backlighting, along with Active Scan 480 for high-speed screen refreshes. There’s also upscaling – both of SD to HD content, and 2D to 3D content – active shutter glasses and 2TB integrated hard-drives that support timeshifting and scheduled recordings. Toshiba has thrown in a total of six digital terrestrial tuners. The sets are all networked, and support “Remote Play” from Windows 7 along with streaming DLNA content. There are USB ports for hooking up external storage and camcorders for direct AVCHD playback, various HDMI ports and an SDHC memory card slot. No word on pricing or availability outside of Japan at this stage. As for the Blu-ray DVRs, the RD-BZ810 has a 1TB drive and the RD-BZ710 and RD-BZ610 each have 500GB drives. They also support USB storage, direct AVCHD playback, reading/writing various Blu-ray and DVD discs, and ethernet streaming. Again, no word on pricing. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba REGZA HDTVs with integrated HDD or USB storage outed Toshiba Regza H3300 – LCD TV with 300GB hard drive storage Toshiba Regza HDTVs start shipping Toshiba unveils new image processor for Regza TV Toshiba crams battery inside new TVs for viewing with no power

Eric Schmidt gets huge salary boost Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:11 AM PDT Eric Schmidt may have to get his personalized stationary reprinted, now that Larry Page has taken over as Google CEO, but the new Executive Chairman of the Google board shouldn’t have any issues paying for fresh letterheads given the whopping salary boost that comes with the position. As CEO, Schmidt was earning a single dollar per year; as Executive Chairman, that jumps to $1.25m along with some juicy bonus potential. In fact, Schmidt’s target bonus is 400-percent of his base salary. In 2011 he could potentially take away a $6m bonus, depending on Google’s overall performance, according to the SEC filing that reveals the figures. Schmidt had followed in Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in taking just $1 in annual salary each year since 2005. The three execs hold considerable shares in the search giant, of course; Schmidt himself has just sold around $300m worth. [via BusinessInsider] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Eric Schmidt: No Nexus Two or Google-brand Chrome OS netbook Eric Schmidt “wants to be a talk-show host” claim insiders Eric Schmidt: CEO shuffle “nothing to do with competitors” or China Schmidt’s Nexus S tease video now online [Video] Android activation rate now over 300,000 per day; blazes past iPhone

Toshiba’s Regza Tablet AT300 finally breaks cover Posted: 20 Apr 2011 01:01 AM PDT Full specs of Toshiba’s second attempt at the Android tablet market emerged back in March, but it’s only today that the new slate has been officially named and given a price. The Toshiba Regza Tablet AT300 has a 10.1-inch 1280 x 800 “Adaptive Display” promising better outdoor visibility and viewing angles, NVIDIA’s dual-core Tegra 2 processor and Android 3.0 Honeycomb. There are also twin cameras – 5-megapixels on the back, 2-megapixels on the front – and HDMI connectivity. Inside there’s 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, WiFi b/g/n and Bluetooth, while ports include an SD card slot, mini USB, USB and headphones socket. The AT300 measures 177 x 273 x 15.8 mm and weighs 765g, and Toshiba reckons it’s good for 7hrs use on a full charge. Thanks to the Toshiba Regza App Connect support, it can apparently integrate with your existing Toshiba HDTV, Blu-ray player, laptop and more. Expect it in Japan in June, for the equivalent of around $700, while rumors suggest it’ll arrive in the US in the first half of this year. [via Android Community and via CrunchGear] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Toshiba 6-tuner Regza 3D ZG2 HDTVs and BZ-series Blu-ray DVRs revealed Toshiba Regza H3300 – LCD TV with 300GB hard drive storage Toshiba REGZA HDTVs with integrated HDD or USB storage outed Toshiba REGZA line of LCDs gets 10 new models – they all have an unbelievable number of ports CEDIA 2007 – Toshiba shrink REGZA LCD TV bezel to just .9-inch

iOS ecosystem still overshadows Android tips research; iPad will dominate slates Posted: 20 Apr 2011 12:36 AM PDT Android‘s dominance in smartphone popularity may be squeezing Apple, but that pattern of user preference hasn’t spread to tablets yet – and may not for some time. They’re the opinions of several new reports out this week, with comScore discovering that, unlike when solely phones are considered, Apple’s entire iOS range beats out Android in popularity by 59-percent. That difference, particularly when it comes to tablets, looks unlikely to change other experts reckon. Goldman Sachs released a 68-page report on the state of the tablet ecosystem, Business Insider reports, concluding that Apple is likely to dominate proceedings for at least the next two years. In fact, Goldman predicts that Apple could well hold 71-percent of the tablet market in 2012, despite the growing number of Android 3.0 Honeycomb models. It’s a shift that will see Microsoft and Intel particularly undermined, they claim, as ARM-based models continue to oust x86 tablets running Windows. Relevant Entries on SlashGear Notebook growth forecast slashed for 2011/12 as tablets dominate iPad to reign tablet supreme through 2015 predicts Gartner Oversized iPod touch PMP/tablet hybrid tipped ahead of iPad 3 comScore: iOS Has Twice the Installed Base of Android Android Tablets Take A Bite Out of Apple in Latest Numbers

iPhone 5 shipping September with speedy CPU tip insiders Posted: 19 Apr 2011 11:59 PM PDT The iPhone 5 rumors continue, with the latest leaks suggesting that Apple will begin production of the fifth-generation smartphone in July this year. Reuter‘s trio of anonymous sources – all supposedly “familiar with the matter” – claim the Apple iPhone 5 will begin shipping in September, as well as throwing out a few tidbits about the specifications. The new iOS handset, they reckon, will “look largely similar” to the existing iPhone 4, rather than mark a significant change in design direction. However it will have a faster processor. That’s presumably the dual-core 1GHz Apple A5 chip found inside the iPad 2, which we’ve expected to form the heart of the iPhone 5 for some time now. As for the similar aesthetic, last we heard Apple was looking at replacing the iPhone 4′s glass back panel with a more durable metal panel. Relevant Entries on SlashGear ThinkGeek ships TK-421 iPhone keyboard case Samsung delay N510 Ion netbook until Windows 7 too iPhone 3G S deliveries frozen: UPS won’t ship until Friday Verizon iPhone 4 pre-ordering closed; first handsets already shipping Sprint iPhone to arrive in September?

ACER Iconia Tab A500 Review Posted: 19 Apr 2011 11:39 PM PDT Welcome to the newest Android tablet on the block, Acer’s Iconia Tab A500. This is an Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet, that being a version of the Google mobile operating system made specifically for tablets, and it’s got a big fat 10.1-inch screen. In the front there’s a 2-megapixel camera for video chat and photos, on the back there’s a 5-megapixel camera for video recording and photos as well. This is a device that will go in direct competition with the Motorola XOOM and the Apple iPad, with a bit of competition from the LG G-Slate, mostly because their dual-core processors come from the same parent: NVIDIA. Will this slice of aluminum carve its way into your Android loving heart? Hardware This tablet joins the still small ranks of approximately 10-inch tablets, this one measuring in at 10.1-inches in the face surrounded by a 10.24 x 6.97 x 0.52-inch (260 x 177 x 13.3-mm,) 25.75-oz (730-g) heavy (display included) body. From there you’ll want to notice that the entire back section is made of a thin, light aluminum while either side of the device is made of plastic. There’s a removable cover at the top (or the side, however you’d like to look at it,) that reveals your SDcard slot and future functional slot for LTE SIM card. You can jam up to 64GB of memory on an SDcard in that first slot, while the SIM card slot remains inactive for now. The form of this device, you’ll come to notice quite quickly, is what sets it aside from the rest of the tablet pack. It also has a lovely Dolby speaker system that’ll blast your eardrums out – except, like all tablets STILL do for some inane reason, the speakers blast outwards from the back of the device. That’s not to say though that you cannot hear their awesomeness, because you definitely can. The TRON test was performed upon this test and it passed with flying colors. Software This tablet runs Android 3.0 Honeycomb, a system which, if you’re unaware of, you can learn all about back in our gigantic Honeycomb Guide (SlashGear 101), or see our Honeycomb Review. Besides all the regular bells and whistles you’ll always find in your Google-approved Honeycomb layout, you’ll find a few extra games and demos that’ll whet your appetite for more NVIDIA collaborated-upon high-powered games and fabulous applications. Other than that, there’s a slightly unique organization app that’ll help you keep track of your apps if you wish, this system taking advantage of Honeycomb’s lovely ability to add a different wallpaper to each panel. There’s an app that goes by the name of Clear.fi that Acer has out, one that’ll let you wirelessly connect to and from other devices in your home network so that you might share your media. It’s an excellent concept and one that’ll be gaining some steam very soon I would educatedly guess. THEN it’s basically nothing but Honeycomb and no obstacles between you and benchmark topping glory. See the performance section for more info. Camera This device comes with a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video, photo, and video chat, and a back-facing 5-megapixel camera for video and photos. As always, I’ll mostly let the media do the talking: Front-Facing Photo at 2-Megapixels Front-Facing Video Back-Facing Photo at 5-Megapixels Back-Facing Photo at 5-Megapixels with FLASH Back-Facing Video The 2-megapixel front-facing cam is about as good as you’re going to get on any tablet these days, while the back-facing camera definitely could be better. Both the G-Slate and the XOOM tablet have 8-megapixel cameras, while the iPad 2 camera is still up to debate if you ask me, but definitely isn’t better than a 6 (in my best guess, that is.) Definitely an alright camera on both sides, but not perfect. Performance Our sister site Android Community has a review with several benchmarks on this device, but we’ll leave those sorts of numbers to them. What you’ll need to know from the SlashGear perspective is that it’s no better and no worse than the rest of the current NVIDIA Tegra 2 suite of devices. A couple of examples: Motorola XOOM and T-Mobile’s LG G-Slate. If you’re unused to using all of these tablets on a regular basis, you’d be hard pressed to know the difference between the operating systems. They’re all the same and they’re all running NVIDIA’s Tegra 2 dual-core processor. The difference is in the attached apps that, each of them in turn, tell you what the manufacturers and carriers want you to experience. Performancewise, if you’re not going to be testing exact numbers via benchmarking systems, this tablet is the same as the XOOM. If you’re comparing to the iPad 2, to be honest, I’ve experienced more bugs in the Apple tablet due to imperfect tablet interfaces (I’m looking at you, Netflix.) Battery The battery on this beast is magnificent. If you plan on doing a full day’s work on this device alone and that means a medium workload, you’ll be set for a full workday. If you want to use it heavily, meaning you’re going to be recording and playing video for example, you’re looking at more like 8 hours. On an average day, give this tablet 24 hours before it runs out of juice. Wrap-Up This is a tablet that you’re going to decide on purchasing based on your love for the brand Acer, your love for the unique light aluminum back end, or your dislike of the rest of the Android tablets on the market. If I only owned this tablet and an iPad 2, would I use this tablet more often than the iPad? Personally, no, but that’s because I’m hardcore Android Community and I’ve gotta represent. Might someone else use the iPad 2 more? Probably. Apple has a much more massive hold over the world’s perception of what a tablet should be, and if people would have to choose on the spot, they’d listen to the one that they know other people will love them for. But if a consumer had both an Acer A500 and an iPad 2 (or heck a, iPad 1,) and wanted to avoid appearing to have the same technology as everyone else, what then? Acer’s made a tablet that looks like none other, and it’s got a nice sound system on it, and it’s mostly metal, and it’s light. And it feels nice to hold, and there’s a USB port in it. And the SDcard port works. What other reason do you need? Relevant Entries on SlashGear Acer Iconia A500, A100 and W500 confirmed for Vodafone Acer Iconia Tab W500 and A500 tablets priced and dated Acer Sandy Bridge Android tablets due 1H 2011 ASUS Eee Pad Transformer vs Acer Iconia Tab A500 HP Touchpad priced/dated; 7-inch webOS Opal incoming, plus 4 Honeycomb 10-inchers

Ideum Unveils New MT55 HD Multitouch Table [Video] Posted: 19 Apr 2011 05:17 PM PDT If you’re in the market for a new desk or table, before you head to your local furniture store take a moment to fantasize how awesome it would be to replace that old wooden thing with Ideum’s new MT55 HD Multitouch Table. We mentioned their older MT50 model about a year ago, but they just announced today a new MT55 HD model that’s a 55″ beauty sporting full 1920×1080 HD resolution. The MT55 HD is a fully integrated system with a multitouch LCD, ultra clear hardened and tempered glass, powerful computer, UPS battery backup, cooling cell, and a Bose Audio system all in a clean pedestal table design. The pedestal houses most of the components including the PC and audio system so the table top surface remains thin at only 3 inches thick. The unit measures 31 inches tall to meet ADA (American with Disabilities) requirements. The integrated PC is a HP system with Intel Quad Core i7 processor, NVIDIA Quadro 600 PCI video card, 4GB RAM, and dual 250GB SATA hard drives. The system runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit and has a three-year HP warranty. The LED back-lit LCD is rated for 50,000 hours and is protected by a 5mm thick tempered glass. The multitouch overlay supports up to 32 simultaneous touch points. The table supports WiFi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, USB 2.0, and HDMI output. GestureWorks for Flash and Flex ships with the table to support more than 200 gestures and is the most advanced multitouch SDK available. Pricing information is not yet available. [via Ideum] Relevant Entries on SlashGear Ideum updates MT-50 multitouch table again Ideum create ultra-wide multitouch table [Video] Ideum update 50-inch multitouch table [Video] Ideum MT2 Multitouch Table beats Microsoft Surface in size & resolution DIY OS X Multitouch table built for science fair

You are subscribed to email updates from SlashGear To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610